An alleged thief with a resemblance to a character from the sitcom Friends has been identified, police have said.

Police in Blackpool had posted an appeal on Facebook asking for witnesses to identify a suspect pictured leaving a restaurant in Blackpool carrying what appeared to be a carton of cans.

Facebook users quickly piled into the comments section, pointing out the suspect’s likeness to David Schwimmer’s character Ross Geller in the well-loved US show.

On Thursday, the day after the appeal was shared, a post on the Lancashire Police Twitter account said: “Could we BE any more overwhelmed with the response to our CCTV appeal about a theft at a restaurant in Blackpool?

“Most importantly, we’re now satisfied we’ve identified the man in the still & our enquiries are very much continuing. Huge thanks for sharing it with your Friends.”

(Image: PA)

Schwimmer had responded to the picture on Wednesday by posting a video to his Twitter account that showed him scurrying through a convenience store carrying a carton of beer before looking up furtively at a CCTV camera.

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He captioned the video: “Officers, I swear it wasn’t me. As you can see, I was in New York.”

“To the hardworking Blackpool Police, good luck with the investigation.”

Blackpool Police issued this picture to try and trace a man they wanted to speak to in connection with an alleged theft (Image: PA)

He added the hashtag £itwasntme to the post.

The alleged theft happened on September 20, the post by Blackpool police said.